Youth Ministry

If we were aware of truly who the Holy Spirit was we would understand that life and ministry is not about us. It is not about our desires. It is not about our comfort zones. It is truly about bringing honor and glory to God. Youth Ministry can be utilized even greater if we put aside our selfish desires, seek God's face, and desire to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Imagine how many teenage souls we would see come to Christ if our students understood the power and impact they could have through the Holy Spirit!!! Ultimately, imagine how great and prosperous the body of Christ would be if we relied completely on the Holy Spirit!

Sometimes a student will reveal something monumental in their lives that we’ll need to help them through. Conversations I’ve had or other leaders have told me about include such topics as drug use, gender identity, sexual impurity, abuse, thoughts of suicide, among others. These can catch any youth worker off guard. However, it’s always an honor to be trusted enough by a student for them to reveal such big issues. When we know how to help them share, we can make experience easier for them.

I remember the first crisis I had to face when I first started in youth ministry. I was paralyzed at the idea of going into the home of some students I barely knew whose dad had just passed away. I’ve learned a lot since then. Seeing this article from Kurt Johnston and Josh Griffin confirmed what I’ve learned during the many years between then and now, but also made me wish I had this information back then.

This is part six of the 7-part series I posted on my blog, dedicating real estate to blogging through the transitional process--announcing departure, setting up systems for success, remembering the work God has done, looking into the future, etc.

Why don’t we start with asking why before we create another ineffective program? I used to think that if I told kids what we did (events, fun, concerts, etc.) and how we did it ( with energy, lots of give aways, food, big crowds) they would be sold, come to the event, and then stick around for a while. Had I stuck to that premise only, I would have left youth ministry a long time ago. The what and the how no longer excite me, but the why is still what has kept me going.